


The trouble with laundry

by memehereagain



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: College, F/M, Implied Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:07:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27098572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memehereagain/pseuds/memehereagain
Summary: Annabeth had a long week of school, yet makes a responsible attempt to complete some chores.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson
Comments: 9
Kudos: 149





	The trouble with laundry

“I’m submitting it Annabeth. No more proofreads, no double, triple however-many checking.” 

  
Annabeth sat back in her chair and groaned/screamed a little.

“That’s fine. I just emailed you the model files. I can’t look at this stuff for one more second.”

  
Jackie, Annabeth’s project partner, stood up from where she was sitting across from her and stretched. Her back popped in that frightening, but satisfying way it does after hours spent in one position. 

  
“Well the design is good. Perfect, even.” Jackie said to Annabeth, not bothering to disguise how impressed she is. “It looks professional Annabeth.” 

  
“The written report is its own challenge, I can’t put that information together like that,” Annabeth gestured at Jackie’s laptop, shrugging. “It’s a fair trade.” 

  
Jackie watched Annabeth wrap up her work, pausing to redo her curly blonde bun, a restless tick she’d watched her move through maybe two hundred times in the last few weeks.

  
“Ok, our partnership rocks, but I don’t want to see you anymore. Or this kitchen table, or that coffee mug-“

  
Annabeth laughed, “I get it. Go- hey, stop,” she said firmly when Jackie reached for their dirty dishes. “Leave that, I got it.” 

  
Jackie’s hands went up in surrender.

“I’m out. I have my own chaos at home anyway.” She gathered her laptop and notebooks to shove into her bag and she was ready to go in less than a minute, heading for the door. 

  
“I’ll walk you to your car?” Annabeth proposed, finally standing up and relinquishing her post behind her laptop and sketches and notebooks for the first time since she microwaved taquitos for lunch. 

  
“You definitely don’t want to walk me to my car.” 

  
“No I don’t,” Annabeth admitted, not guilty in the slightest. “I want to take a shower.”

  
“Bye girl, take a shower, I’ll see you Monday.” 

Annabeth groaned. “And the cycle continues.” 

  
Once the door shut behind Jackie, Annabeth was left to take in the apartment, which really was in a state of chaos. It was a peaceful moment; Annabeth, her finished project, and the tattered remains of her living space. Then Hazel emerged from Annabeth’s bedroom where she had been keeping out of the way.   
  


“You’re done?” Hazel asked.

  
Annabeth nodded, suddenly grinning madly and they met for a high five which turned into a hug because it has been a fucking week. Honestly, a few fucking weeks.   
  


“Let me help you pick up,” Hazel started saying, pulling away, but Annabeth protested.

“No, this is your spring break-“ 

“I know, but you’ve been working so hard for the past few weeks.” 

  
Annabeth sighed, sounding resigned. “I was supposed show you what life looks like for a Berkeley student. You wanted to see how I handle it, but all you saw was mean, sleep deprived, train-wreck Annabeth.”   
  


“It’s fine. Can you just take care of yourself. Shower maybe?” The last part was hesitantly spoken.   
  


“I can shower. I miss showers.” There was longing in Annabeth’s voice. “I haven’t been in one in a long time.”   
  


“Go!” Hazel was laughing as she shoved her in the direction of the bathroom.   
  


* * *

  
Annabeth, out of the shower, stood in her bedroom, hair dripping freely down her back because her last towel was wrapped around her body.   
  


She knew she had nothing to wear, all her things were dirty and worn twice over. She opened the drawer that Percy’s things normally wound up in just to find socks, a scarf and one massive t-shirt big enough for an Annabeth and a half.   
  


_‘I need to do laundry,’_ Annabeth thought to herself.   
  


Still feeling a high from her big project completion and also energized by the copious amounts of coffee she’d consumed, Annabeth decided now was the time.

  
Fifteen minutes later, Annabeth was at the door, stuffing her feet into her house slippers that had seen way more outside than they were built for, her laundry surrounding her in two full baskets and a hamper full of sheets.   
  


Hazel asked, “You sure you want to do this?”   
  


Annabeth nodded, shoving the jug of detergent into a basket to streamline transport.

”l might be in a bit of a frenzy right now. But it’s gonna feel so good to sleep in clean sheets and wake up to all my clothes clean and in their proper place.”

Hazels eyebrows rose.   
  


“Ok they’ll be clean and in the baskets. But they’ll be clean.”   
  


“I’m just asking, Annabeth, it’s almost 1 am now-“ 

  
“Ok don’t discourage me when I’ve clearly made up my mind,” Annabeth tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice but she knew she failed when Hazel wordlessly turned back to finish loading the dishwasher. She could fix that later, she figured, and she grabbed the first basket to haul to the laundry room.   
  


* * *

  
“Motherfucker...” Annabeth muttered angrily. “One quarter, one fucking quarter short.”   
  


All her laundry was sorted and loaded, detergent and bleach dispensed appropriately, but she was a quarter short and that was all the outdated washers could take. Whatever cleaning bug had bitten her had worn off around the third trip down two flights of stairs and all the way to the apartment’s laundry room literally at the opposite end of the complex. Frenzy of productivity long gone, Annabeth dug her phone out from where she had tossed it in the hamper to call Hazel. 

  
“Annabeth! Guess who-“ 

“Please, Hazel. I need one quarter, just one quarter, and I’d rather gag on Dionysus’s dick than walk back to the apartment.” She held her phone to her ear with one hand while she bent down to lift the jug of detergent, then the bleach, hoping to find the missing coin hidden among her things.

“That really isn’t necessary Annabeth-“ 

”I don’t mean it obviously,” she dragged a drying curl out of her mouth, trying to avoid making spitting noises on the phone, “but I think you can grasp my point?”

”I get it Annabeth, but sometimes I could do without your vulgarity-“ 

“Hazel are you bringing me a quarter, or do I need to get it myself?” She braced a hand on the cool metal of the machine, looking down at the dirty toe of her slipper. _You’re being rude again:_ that was her conscience, probably giving her a judgmental once over, but Annabeth dismissed the little voice. Because it had been a week, and Annabeth was the idiot who decided to cap things off with a mountain of laundry.   
  


“I’ll get your quarter. Even though I don’t care for your tone.” And she hung up.   
  


Annabeth put the phone down, feeling guilty, but relieved. So she decided to balance out her laundry loads while she waited, and she was finishing up when she heard the door click open and shut. 

  
“That’s my Jimmy Eats World t-shirt. You took my Jimmy Eats World t-shirt.”

Annabeth looked over her shoulder, transferring jeans from one machine to another.   
  


“Do you have a quarter for me?” Annabeth asked, closing the machines and turning to lean against the one-quarter-short washer. She was trying not to smile, but she can’t help it, because it’s Percy, who was supposed to be in SF, but he’s here in Berkeley, in a t-shirt, shorts, and a baseball cap, standing in the gloomy little laundry room, and it’s really really good to see him.   
  


He dung into his pocket and pulled out a hand full of coins, making a surprised face like ‘what do you know’ before walking over to her to pour them into her outstretched hand.   
  


She closed her fist around the change, then it was back to her task; down the line she went, shoving in coin cartridges and starting the wash cycles for one, two, three, four- his eyes grew wide- _five, six_ machines.   
  


She finished with a flourish and turned to him, now reaching for his outstretched hand and letting him pull her into his tall frame and wrap her in a tight hug.   
  


“Hi.” 

“Hi.” 

A beat.

“That is a lot of laundry.” 

“It’s about everything I own, sheets included.” Her grin was now a bit maniacal, her damp hair was drying in a chaotic sort of frizzy mess, her hands were linked behind his back, and Percy had to kiss her, so he did just that, and he leaned down as she stretched up to bring their mouths together. Once, soft and sweet, because they missed each other, twice, a little more heat, because they really missed each other.   
  


“Hazel said you were being a bitch.” 

“No she didn’t.” She thought for a moment. “She wouldn’t.”

“Well she basically did. And I was there in time for that phone call. I personally would prefer you not gag on Dionysus’ anything-“ 

Annabeth groaned and pushed her face into his chest. “Gods, I feel bad. It’s just been the worst week in my life for her to be here despite the fact that she’s been planning to stay with me since winter.” She looked up at him, face earnest. “Both of us were looking forward to this!”   
  


“She’s fine, she knows how you are-“ 

“What’s that supposed to mean-" 

Percy started laughing, “Annabeth...” 

“No I get it.” She crossed her arms. “She’s sweet and kind, and I’m mean and sour.” 

He smoothed his hands down her tense back. “If you’re sour, you’re sour like a sour patch kid.” She squinted suspiciously at him, knowing he was going somewhere with this, and her arms were still crossed while he studied her, feigning so sort of depth of thought. “Or maybe like a Warhead.” 

  
“Percy...” she made to shove him away, but he grabbed her by the elbows, laughing again as he pulled her resistant form into him. “What does that even mean?” 

  
“No listen. You know sour patches, Warheads, they’re sour on the outside but sweet on the inside.”

“No, I’m a bully, a bad friend and a bully through and through and I need to apologize to her.”   
  


Percy frowned at her, not approving the self-criticism. “I know your insides very well, better that most, if not all, and they are very sweet and I happen to like them a lot.” He had one arm around her and the other hand came up to tug on her lower lip. “You just have to be sucked on long enough...”

She quirked an eyebrow at him, he was trying to keep a serious face but he couldn’t.  
  


“One track mind dude. Always the same thing with you,” she was shaking her head.   
  


He laughed and lowered his head to kiss her again, plying her mouth in a way that made her believe in twin flames and Christmas miracles. Annabeth pulled his cap off his head and threw it on a nearby counter.

Her hands slid under his shirt to feel the warm skin of his abdomen, then the kiss deepened and she felt him groan appreciatively in her mouth. Their mouths drew apart just to come back together until the kiss became a thing of open-mouthed exploration, of tongues that licked hungrily, of teeth that bit playfully, then provocatively. His hands stroked up and down her back, caressing her waist and hips possessively before sliding down to her thighs and up under her shirt-

Percy groaned, abruptly pulling away from the kiss. “You aren’t wearing underwear.”   
  


She shrugged, drawing him back to her, and her breath was hot and quick against his mouth. “They’re in the wash.”   
  


Percy dipped his head to place open-mouthed kisses on her neck where she was fragrant, smelling of her lemon shampoo and Jergens lotion, and he murmured in-between kisses, “Here I am... _kiss_ … showing up all unexpected... _kiss_ … and handsome,” she tugged on the hair at his nape at that, “and chivalrous,” he tongued the place where her jaw met her neck before sucking hard enough to leave a mark, “saving the day one quarter at a time,” Annabeth pulled away to laugh, “and I’m trying not to misbehave,” he brought her back in to his chest, breathing hard, but tilted his head up like he was consorting with the gods, “but you don’t have panties on,” he said with a defeated sigh.   
  


“What am I suppose to do?” he asked the ceiling.   
  


Instead of answering, she drew his face back down to hers and kissed him hard.

* * *

Later, Percy held her close, happy just kissing her again and again. They were warm and sated and wrapped up in each other, until Annabeth drew back slightly.

“I’m very naked right now.” 

“I noticed.” Percy’s hands confirmed her assessment and he grinned. “Lucky me.”

She snorted. “I need my shirt.” 

  
He reached down, muttering “my shirt,” to grab it from the ground a few feet away, handing it to her, then pulling her back to him as she tugged the shirt over her head. 

  
“We’re going to hell for that one,” Percy remarked as he gazed at her. 

“Oh definitely. Hazel would print my ticket.” 

Percy pulled away from their embrace laughing, “Oh no, don’t say that- 

“You know she would, and it would read ‘one-way ticket to hell for Annabeth Chase, a bitch and a whore.’”

“If you’re a whore I’m a whore. And I think your stuff is done.”   
  


Annabeth nodded, slipping her feet back into her shoes before she headed to the sink, “It’s been done, help me move it to the dryers? Hey, stop!-”

Percy released the handle on one of the machines.   
  


“Those are clean clothes, dirty boy, wash your hands.” 

  
Hands washed, Percy and Annabeth transferred her things into drying machines. And task completed, they plopped onto an ottoman against the wall (not before Annabeth grabbed his discarded hat and smashed it over her curls with a silly grin that made Percy’s heart clench because she’s in his shirt and his hat and she still has no underwear on and she really is something utterly special), Percy sitting up while Annabeth laid with her legs in his lap, to wait for the clothes to dry and to catch up with each other.   
  


Annabeth ranted about the project that had consumed the last two weeks of her life and the guy, a bro-y Chad type, who tried to insist her and Jackie’s project didn’t adhere to the guidelines.   
  


And he told her about his internship and the new study they were starting and his training in San Francisco and how he ended up here for the weekend. 

  
“Frank and I drove to SF together since he had some senator thing to do and I hate driving in the City on my own,” he said, rubbing Annabeth’s knee. “And I’m fine in New York, but people here drive like they’re on a different kind of drug.” 

  
She nodded, and he went on.   
  


“Anyway, Frank wanted to rescue Hazel,” she knee’d him in the abdomen, “and those all day project orientation sessions were rescheduled for next weekend so everything kinda worked out.”

  
She played with his hand on her thigh, “Well I’m glad, I mean, I was absolutely dying from school work these past two weeks, and you went home for Spring break, and I couldn’t even see you before then because I was still at that conference in Anaheim... that was almost three weeks Percy. That doesn’t even make sense. We aren’t that far from each other.”   
  


“That’s life,” he said shrugging, “And I love seeing you doing what you love.”

”And your internship,” she tugged on his hand drawing his attention fully to her. “Are you still feeling good about it?” 

  
“Yeah, it’s just starting a new project.” He smiled, a little self conscious, as he massaged her thigh. “At the end of the day I get to talk to these kids for hours and they call it research. It feels too good to be true.”   
  


When she asked about the drive, Percy explained how both of them forgot to get cash for the toll bridge so he hopped out of the car to ask the drivers behind them if they had $6 to share, and Percy swore it was just as chaotic as it sounded.

“Oh no,” Annabeth said, laughing, eyes wide with amused horror. “Did someone help?”   
  


“Yeah, these kids thought I was hilarious and passed cash to me from the backseat, but their mom didn’t even speak to me, just said something like, ‘that’s why you stay in school-‘“ 

“So judgey.” 

“That’s what I’m saying! If traffic wasn’t moving I would have told her it’s the least she could do considering the amount of times we’ve saved the world.” 

“She should have thanked you for even asking-" 

“Paid my rent-“ 

“Offered you her first born.” 

“Nah, fuck that, she was driving a Tesla. I’d take the car.”   
  


They had dissolved into laughter when the door clicked open, and Annabeth shifted her legs from Percy’s lap to turn and see who walked in.   
  


It was her housemate Remy. Still Annabeth sat up next to Percy, careful not to expose her sans underwear self.   
  


Remy, with a basket full of laundry in her arms, narrowed her eyes at them over the heap of clothing.   
  


“What are you two doing in here?” 

  
They both rushed to answer.

“Just catching up-“ 

“Waiting for my stuff to dry-"

Annabeth pinched Percy’s side, he winces, before before saying, “We were just talking while we waited for my things to dry.”   
  


Remy, still suspicious, stopped by a machine to load her laundry, thankfully not the one they had occupied. They wouldn’t have survived that.   
  


“Hazel said you were down here doing laundry, she didn’t tell me Sugar Dick was here, too.”   
  


Percy rolled his eyes and grimaced at that because Remy, a Roman legacy, and Annabeth’s closest friend and housemate, knew him personally. She claimed her objectification of him was in an effort to keep him humble.   
  


A buzz signaled Annabeth’s drying was done. She unnecessarily chimed, “That’s me,” and she and Percy began the tasks of loading her clean items up for the haul back to the apartment.   
  


They were making their first trip back to Annabeth’s apartment, each carrying a basket their arms, when Percy had to ask- 

“You think she suspects anything?” 

“Abso-fucking-lutely.” 

**Author's Note:**

> more updates via tumblr [@memehereagain ](https://memehereagain.tumblr.com)


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